Legal recommendations for older adults

Aging brings its own legal challenges and issues. Medical problems, medical care and property distribution after death are all areas where taking steps now can save your loved ones a lot of time, money and heartache.

Here are three things that all adults—but especially older adults—should consider having.

An Advanced Health care directive

An advanced health care directive (sometimes called a “living will” or a ”health care directive”) is a legal document that can:

Specify whether you want to be an artificial life support if you become permanently unconscious or are otherwise dying and unable to speak for yourself.

If a person dies without a Will, they are said to have died “intestate.” If you die intestate, here is what can happen:

A court looks to “intestate succession laws” to decide how and to whom your assets will be distributed.

Your heirs are powerless to change the Court’s decisions.

Your heirs are powerless to fight for what you wanted, even if you verbally told everybody how you wanted your assets distributed.

For the most part, any person eighteen-years-old, or any emancipated minor of sound mind may make a Will. The term “sound mind” means someone who is competent to make contracts and perform all of his or her civil duties; and who has not been deemed incompetent in a prior legal proceeding.

There are several websites which can produce simple wills for little or no money.